Given the uncertainty that the proposed new tax reform is generating, finding a highly competent tax preparer to help guide you through the complex laws that are shaping up is going to be even more important this year than in the past. Even if congress is successful in creating the much talked about “Post Card” tax return, it will only be used for the most basic of tax returns and if you have any deductions or credits coming, there are going to be additional forms you’ll need to file. Even though it may look simple, it really isn’t much different than what we already have.

We are a local family owned business with experience helping people get the largest tax refund possible, Tax Smart LLC, in association with H&R Block, is here to help. As a former IRS agent with over 30 years experience, Doreen Talbot has the knowledge and dedication to make sure you get every dollar you’re entitled to. Don’t let the politicians fool you into paying the IRS more than your fair share. Call Tax Smart today to schedule an appointment and see how we can help save you more of your hard earned money.

If you are a business owner, it’s even MORE important to call us today. Congress is in the process of trying to change the tax laws and you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss any critical issues that may effect you this year and in the future. We are a full service, year round office that is helping local companies with bookkeeping, sales tax, income tax returns, payroll, tax planning and more. We are dedicated to serving the needs of our growing community and want to help you thrive in a competitive market.

Many of the tax changes affecting individuals and businesses for 2017 were related to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH) that modified or made permanent numerous tax breaks (the so-called “tax extenders”). To further complicate matters, some provisions were only extended through 2016 and are set to expire at the end of this year while others were extended through 2019. With that in mind, here’s what individuals and families need to know about tax provisions for 2017.

Individuals – RetirementContribution Limits
For 2017, the elective deferral (contribution) limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan is $18,000 (same as 2016). For persons age 50 or older in 2017, the limit is $24,000 ($6,000 catch-up contribution). Contribution limits for SIMPLE plans remain at $12,500 (same as 2016) for persons under age 50 and $15,500 for anyone age 50 or older in 2017. The maximum compensation used to determine contributions increased from $265,000 to $270,000.

Saver’s Credit
In 2017, the adjusted gross income limit for the saver’s credit (also known as the retirement savings contributions credit) for low-and-moderate-income workers is $62,000 for married couples filing jointly, $46,500 for heads of household, and $31,000 for married individuals filing separately and for singles.

Business Tax Provisions: the Year in Review
Whether you file as a corporation or sole proprietor here’s what business owners need to know about tax changes for 2017.

Standard Mileage Rates
The standard mileage rates in 2017 are as follows: 53.5 cents per business mile driven, 17 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, and 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

Health Care Tax Credit for Small Businesses
Small business employers who pay at least half the premiums for single health insurance coverage for their employees may be eligible for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit as long as they employ fewer than the equivalent of 25 full-time workers and average annual wages do not exceed $52,000 (adjusted annually for inflation). In 2017 this amount is $52,400.

In 2017 (as in 2016, 2015, and 2014), the tax credit is worth up to 50 percent of your contribution toward employees’ premium costs (up to 35 percent for tax-exempt employers). For tax years 2010 through 2013, the maximum credit was 35 percent for small business employers and 25 percent for small tax-exempt employers such as charities.

Section 179 Expensing and Depreciation
The Section 179 expense deduction was made permanent at $510,000 by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH). For equipment purchases, the maximum deduction is $500,000 of the first $2.03 million of qualifying equipment placed in service during the current tax year. The deduction is phased out dollar for dollar on amounts exceeding the $2 million threshold amount (indexed for inflation) and eliminated above amounts exceeding $2.5 million. In addition, Section 179 is now indexed to inflation in increments of $10,000 for future tax years.

The 50 percent bonus depreciation has been extended through 2019. Businesses are able to depreciate 50 percent of the cost of equipment acquired and placed in service during 2015, 2016 and 2017. However, the bonus depreciation is reduced to 40 percent in 2018 and 30 percent in 2019. The standard business depreciation amount is 25 cents per mile.

For questions or more info on this complex topic, please contact The ATLAS CPAs. The ATLAS CPAs & Advisors office is located at: 21 North 1st Ave., Suite #200 in Brighton. You can also reach Manager Kyle Bullock by phone at: 303.659.3951.

Are you wondering how you’re going to get your next home project underway and want to find someone who can help you? Your local Lowe’s has a program where you can have assistance from a Project Interiors/ Exteriors Specialist that will guide you through your job from start to finish. Lowe’s will connect you with an Interiors Specialist and general contractor in order to help you complete kitchen and bath remodels as well as basement finishing! They take care of your planning, designing, and installation of your entire project so you don’t have to. And, of course all your products will come from Lowe’s too!

All of Lowe’s contractors and their employees are licensed, bonded, and insured and go through a vigorous background check prior to working for them. They make sure that the customers feel comfortable letting their Design Team into your home allowing Lowe’s to transform any house into a home you’ll love!

Your Exterior Specialist will help you with every detail including design, selection, delivery, installation, financing, and clean-up for your Fencing, Blow-In Insulation, Siding, Windows, Roofing, Decking, Standby Generators, HVAC Systems, and Seamless Gutters. Estimates include an all-inclusive price for materials and labor.

If you’re planning a project any time in the near future, either inside or on the outside of your house, consider getting to know one of the Brighton Lowe’s specialists to help you get your job finished with ease and confidence. Call today! 303-498-5000.

We’ve enjoyed a long bull market. But when it starts losing steam, you, as an investor, need to be prepared. Consider these ideas:

First, you may want to think about fixed-income vehicles, such as bonds, which can help reduce your portfolio’s vulnerability to market downturns.

Second, look at international investments. When the U.S. markets are down, others around the world may be up. Of course, international investments carry some special risks, such as currency fluctuation and foreign political and economic events.

Finally, develop a strategy that could help you capitalize on short-term market drops. For example, if you invest the same amount of money in the same investments at regular intervals, your money will buy more shares when prices are down. However, this technique won’t guarantee profits or protect against all losses, and you need to be willing to keep investing when share prices are
declining.

By making the right moves, you can keep moving toward your goals – even when the bull market has taken a breather.

March is such a crazy month in Colorado! From the weather to our mindsets, we’re torn between enjoying every last inch of powder and getting our summer gear out of storage!

One thing stays consistent though, Bridal Season! With holiday engagements and warm summer weather just around the corner, future brides are planning up a storm. Thollot Jewelers has hand-selected incredible jewelry collections, specifically for us Coloradans, for brides and grooms to browse while preparing for their big day! From engagement rings to bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, your loved ones will be singing, “You had me at Thollot!”

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram this month for a fun March Bracket contest and more!

“Brian, how can the heat be on when it is only March and when you wrote this article it was snowing and the temperature was in the single digits?!” My response is simple, “Home prices went up 8% in January 2018 and for condos they went up 22% from January 2017!”

One dominant opinion is that rising interest rates are going to cool down the real estate market. I agree that opinion is generally true. Please remember that all real estate is local, and we live in one of the hottest real estate markets in the nation! The numbers don’t support a cooling in the market just yet.

The average price of a single family home in the Brighton area for January 2018 was $369,900 vs $330,000 for January 2017. That is a 12% increase! For single family homes in Commerce City (zip code 80022), the average price in January 2018 was $358,000 vs $325,000 in January 2017. That’s a 10.2% increase! For condos the percentage increase is similarly fantastic.

If you would like to know the value of your home, call The Award Winning Margolis Team of Keller Williams. I would like to thank all of our clients for helping my real estate company become one of the Top 5 Teams in the entire state of Colorado for Keller Williams in 2017! Experience how real estate is supposed to be practiced with our excellent customer service.

Luck is hard work paying off. We’ve all heard this comment on many occasions. People who have achieved success don’t question the viability of that statement. Those that don’t have a clear view of what they want to accomplish, and take a stab at finding something positive for their lives daily, may not wholeheartedly believe they can make their own luck. Is luck something we have no control over?

Putting together this issue has been very interesting for me. I’m always impressed by the resilience of our advertisers to come up with ideas that bring great offerings to our readers while working to advance their businesses. I’ve also been inspired by some of the articles that were written this month in response to our most recent national tragedy in Florida and the loss of many young lives. We can hope this is a time for change and possibility that affects every generation, most particularly our youth. The emotion I see very often from those I’m in contact with is hope. There’s hope for a better tomorrow and an advanced existence for ourselves. Luck can be achieved with hope and lots of positive action. I’m fortunate to have a good number of examples to witness with regard to the hard work = luck concept from many of our advertisers who have built successful businesses using that philosophy. We look forward to your knowing them better by using their products and services and getting to know them as I do.

Often I hear that people like to read our magazine from cover to cover. We encourage you to read through this issue and see what’s happening in Brighton and the surrounding areas. There is much in the way of valuable offers and information that can enhance your lives. I feel like myself and staff are the lucky ones to have the experience of putting this magazine together for you!

As we all know, home is where the heart is – whether it’s a cozy little casa or a sprawling mansion. Here are five ways to show your home some affection:

Add some color. Use flowers to brighten a main room or split them up among tiny vases placed throughout your home. You can go for the classic red roses, or any bouquet (pro-tip: simple bouquets tend to last a little longer). A throw pillow or a stylish vase can add some color too! If your pocketbook can accommodate something a little bigger, consider replacing a piece of furniture or splurging on a dramatic new piece of art.

Do a makeover. Rearrange your living space. Take your photos down and put them back up in a different way. Even your furniture can be adjusted to freshen up your perspective. You could end up feeling as if you have a brand-new home.

Brighten it up. A tried-and-true way to spruce up your home is to switch out the color palette. Paint a bathroom if you’d like to start small, or go for a whole room or even the kitchen cabinets if you’re feeling brave. They make do-it-yourself resurfacing kits for kitchen cabinets and counters if you’re looking for a weekend project.

Get to know your humble abode. It’s worth knowing the value of your home. Call your REALTOR® and ask for a home valuation. This free, no-obligation report will give you a excellent snapshot of the health of your financial investment.

Start on your spring cleaning. Do a room-by-room purge. File paperwork, and shred paperwork you don’t need any longer. Clear out things that weigh down the space, you don’t use, or are broken/worn. Donate what you can, and toss what isn’t valuable. Without pulling out even one single disinfecting wipe, you can empty the clutter and give yourself more space to breathe.

Showing your home some love is as good as showing yourself some love. If you’re not sure what your Home is worth, call us! We can offer you a home valuation that’ll show the financial health of your home, without any obligation. Call us today at 720-371-6733 and get your questions answered!

Happy Valentine’s Day and happy early spring planting! We are beginning to grow some vegetables and herbs indoors for our school garden and we are so excited to watch them grow. We will continue to plant, grow and nurture out garden through the summer months as part of summer camp and Young Montessori would like to invite you to join us for an enjoyable summer program! We accept children ages 3 to 10 during the summer months so please call or visit our website to request information today!

For February, we are studying the parts of the human heart using labeled diagrams and creating booklets to match. Also, we are studying a plant’s life cycle which leads us into a study of “living versus non-living”. And last but not least; “The Asian New Year”, and focusing on the continent of Asia!

Young Montessori offers two day, three day, and five day programs, both part time and full time under the guidance of experienced teachers in an authentic Montessori preschool environment. We also offer a before care program and an aftercare program during the academic school year. And, you are free to choose your child’s days of attendance as long as they are available, therefore; it is first come, first serve so enroll today! And now accepting applications for the summer program!

It is interesting how people take notice when you are the “world champion” in something. This past year, myself, and several students participated in the International Horse Agility video competition. When I first competed in this equine discipline, people who had no idea what it was would comment, “that is nice” and go on their way. Now, when a comment is made about my horse and I being world champion, horse professionals and owners ask what it is all about.

Every month there is a new course consisting of ten obstacles. Each obstacle is worth up to five points for doing the obstacle correctly and five points for horsemanship. There are two divisions where you maneuver your horse through the course on foot; online and liberty. Online, is with a halter and lead and the liberty you use only your voice and body language. There is also Equagility where you go through a five obstacle course on foot and then ride the same five obstacle.

The bragging rights of having three people from Promenade finish in the top five in the world is great but what is really incredible is the positive transformation of the human/horse relationship. Agility has had an incredible influence on the relationship my clients have formed with their horses. Owners who may be scared, inconsistent, or found excuses not to work their horse, became confident and found a way to better communicate with their horses. Agility helped create a safer and calmer horse.

If you are a horse owner feeling stuck with what to do with your horse, or want to build better communication, your question shouldn’t be “should I try horse agility” it should be “when am I going to start horse agility”. It is worth your time to invest in this discipline. Promenade holds two classes a week as well as privates to provide a fun and concrete way to build a solid relationship with your horse. Kim is a certified Agility trainer and will be a clinician at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo March 9th to 11th.